And the number one Class AA school academically in West Virginia is … Bridgeport High School. According to the U.S. News and World Report’s latest edition of the country’s best high schools, BHS landed the top spot in Class AA and was ranked third overall in West Virginia.

 

George Washington High School landed the top spot overall. Morgantown was the second-ranked high school in the Mountain State.

 

“Obviously, we’re very pleased with this,” said BHS Assistant Principal Matt DeMotto. “We owe the success to our students, our community and to our staff.”

 

The scores to determine the ranking were based on math and reading proficiency, as well as college readiness. College readiness scores reflect the number of students enrolled and who passed Advance Placement (AP) classes. Student/teacher ratio was also involved.

 

This isn’t the first time Bridgeport has been either at the top of an academic ranking for Class AA or the state or near the top. In fact, it’s been fairly consistent for well over a decade – and perhaps longer.

 

“There are different measuring sticks out there for ranking schools, but this ranking is a bit different in that it encompasses more than just the test scores. This involves college readiness by considering Advanced Placement classes, participation rates and those that succeed in those classes.”

 

The ranking of third could be a result of the AP classes. DeMotto said that larger schools, such as Morgantown and GW, have the ability to offer more AP classes due to their numbers than schools such as Bridgeport.

 

“That could be a reason that we’re third,” said DeMotto. “At the same time, to be ranked that high is a testament to so many and we hope that it will, and we actually expect that it will, continue.”

 

Click HERE for the complete report.

 

Click HERE to read about what is arguably the greatest annual event in Bridgeport - that's set for tomorrow.